NECWA News Blog - The New England Coastal Wildlife Alliance (NECWA) is an all volunteer non-profit organization based in southeastern MA. Our focus is to better understand and protect coastal marine wildlife, including whales, seabird, seals, basking sharks and ocean sunfish. Contact us at contact@necwa.org.

Wednesday, September 23, 2015

Great Deal! Hope you can join us.

Print this coupon out and bring with you when you purchase your tickets. One coupon per person.

Although Tuesday whale watches have been canceled, this $25 ticket price is still good on Wednesdays, Thursdays, and Fridays. Plymouth Whale Watching ends their season on Monday, October 12th which is Columbus Day.

Please support this company for they have continued to support NECWA by providing free tickets for interns onboard their whale watching trips and by allowing NECWA to collect sighting data and donations while offshore.

This company cares about the whales that we have come to know and love and they support research, education, and conservation activities onboard their boats. Their captains are some of the most experienced captains offshore and they adhere to the National Marine Fisheries Service Whale Watching Guidelines.

This trip is a GO and we are looking forward to another
exciting day out on the water viewing seabirds, whales, seals, and other marine
wildlife. Guest naturalists will be Wayne Petersen, David Clapp, Jim Sweeney,
Mason Weinrich, and Krill Carson.

There are a few changes to the trip's start time, end time,
and itinerary that I wanted to inform you about.

Start Time: We were able to get the boat company to agree to
an earlier start time of 8:30 am. We are pushing hard to get an early start
time so I am sorry for any confusion created. Please be down at the boat which
is docked at the end of the State Pier by 8 am for boarding. We hope to leave
the dock by 8:30 am sharp.

End Time: We are going to be flexible on our end time. We
are scheduled to come back to the dock by 5 pm, but we could stay out until 6
pm if needed.

Itinerary: Once we leave Plymouth Harbor, we will head
across Cape Cod Bay to Provincetown Harbor. The boat company had a previously
arranged charter of pedal bikers who need to get dropped off in P'town that
morning. Once we drop them off, they will spend the day pedaling back to
Plymouth. It should take us close to 1 hr and 45 min. to steam across Cape Cod
Bay and then we dock in Provincetown for only as long as it will take us to get
the bikes and the bikers off the boat. While we are traveling across Cape Cod
Bay, we will be looking for and commenting on the marine wildlife seen from the
boat, but we won't have time to stop and watch them.

To compensate folks for this inconvenience, NECWA will be
providing a free Continental Breakfast for all passengers that will include
muffins, donuts, bagels, fruit, as well as juice and coffee. And as we cross
the bay, we will conduct our free, onboard nature raffle so get ready for lots
of fun as we raffle off nature-themed items like t-shirts, field guides and
other paraphernalia.

I want to apologize for having to spend the first 2 hours of
our trip crossing Cape Cod Bay and docking in P'town. I am sorry for this
inconvenience, but I had no choice in the matter and am doing everything in my
power to make this up to our passengers. The bike group chartered the boat in
advance so they have first dibs on the morning route. But they did agree to
leave the dock a bit earlier then what they were scheduled for, so again, be
down at the dock by 8:00 am for an 8:30 am sailing.

Once we leave the bikers at P'town, the boat is ours for the
rest of the day. We will be traveling along the outside of the Cape, passing
Long Point Light, Wood End Light, and then Race Point Light as we head as far
south as Highland Light. From there, we will turn back north and east and head
offshore to the southern edge of Stellwagen Bank.

Over the past few weeks, we have had an explosion of sand
lance in our southern waters that has attracted many unusual species of
seabirds and other marine animals. So although we won't be able to head to
Chatham on this trip, but instead will be staying closer to home, we will be in
areas that have been very productive with regards to sightings.

Best to all and thank you for your understanding and
patience in this matter. This trip is an important fundraising event for NECWA,
but it is also a time to connect with friends offshore as well as wildlife. I
work hard to put together productive and fun trips, and I greatly appreciate
your continued commitment to NECWA and the work that we do on behalf of marine
wildlife in our New England Waters.

Again, please contact me you have any additional questions
or concerns.

Best to all, Krill

Additional Trip Information:

Bring as little as you can due to space issues.

You can bring your own food and drink, but no glass and no alcohol.

You can purchase (cash only) lunch items from our full galley. Most are homemade.

Bring small bills for the purchase of food, drinks and NECWA merchandise on sale.

NECWA t-shrits, sweatshirts, hats and other merchandise will be available for sale.

Cash only for the galley and for NECWA merchandise.

Use the link above to keep an eye out on the weather. The marine forecast is for Stellwagen Bank.

Use the information below from Park Plymouth to find a good parking spot for all day. There are a few free lots that are a 10 minute walk from the boat. If you park in the Jenny Lot, walk behind the Jenny Grist Mill from the parking lot to access the path through the park. This path leads you down to the waterfront and is a beautiful walk.

Beach Clean-up at Scusset Beach State Reservation

The New England Coastal Wildlife Alliance (NECWA) is sponsoring its annual beach cleanup at Scusset Beach State Reservation on Saturday, September 19th from 10 am to 12 pm. This beach cleanup is part of a larger effort through COASTSWEEP, the Massachusetts-wide coastal cleanup that occurs during September and October. And our beach cleanup at Scusset Beach is in conjunction with the Department of Conservation and Recreation (DCR).

COASTSWEEP cleanups are organized by the Massachusetts Office of Coastal Zone Management (CZM). Each fall, thousands of volunteers collect tons of trash from beaches, marshes, riverbanks and the seafloor. These cleanups are part of the International Coastal Cleanup organized by the Ocean Conservancy in Washington, D.C. Last year alone, 2,588 volunteers cleaned 139 miles of coastline, collecting more than seven tons of trash.

NECWA will be meeting at the bathhouse/snack bar at Scusset Beach at 10 am. We will spend an hour cleaning the beach and then return for refreshments and a free nature-themed raffle.

Please join us at Scusset Beach and let’s have fun spending time outdoors with family and friends, new and old. All are invited for this is a family event. NECWA and COASTSWEEP will provide all the necessary supplies, including protective gloves, garbage bags and data sheets for this cleanup effort.

NECWA NEWS UPDATES!

Don't forget tickets are still available for the Spring Ocean Exploration Cruise on May 19 to learn more o rot register for this trip go to our Events page on the NECWA website.

NECWA Online Store

Each purchase supports Marine Wildlife

Amazon Smile

New England Coastal Wildlife Alliance Inc

DONATE TO NECWA

Help NECWA protect and conserve our local marine wildlife. Go to www.necwa.org and click on "Donate Now through Just Give." NECWA is a volunteer nonprofit organization so 100% of all donations go directly into our many projects and activities. Thank you!

Join us for an all day marine wildlife trip to support NECWA!

Click on this picture to learn more about our upcoming Seabird & Whale Tales excursion. We hope you can join us for our upcoming trips in June and September. Go to our website and visit our home page to learn more.

NECWA

Through research and education, the New England Coastal Wildlife Alliance (NECWA) helps protect and conserve our coastal marine wildlife. To learn more, go to our website at www.necwa.org